Whatever the answer, it added up to a 45-42 victory for Cal over Wyoming on Wednesday night in front of an announced crowd of 6,648 fans at Haas Pavilion.

Cal”s point total was its lowest in a victory since a 43-41 win at Washington State on Feb. 23, 2006. No complaints from coach Cuonzo Martin, whose team improved to 8-1, the program”s best start since 2001-02.

“I just want to win. Doesn”t bother me at all, not at all,” he said after his team shot 36.5 percent and scored just 15 first-half points. “It wasn”t terrible offense at all. We continue to make progress defensively.”

The Bears, who have been at their best this season when able to play uptempo basketball, did not score a transition basket until Tyrone Wallace dunked off a Wyoming turnover with 22.7 seconds left for a 43-39 lead.

Sam Singer then scored on a subsequent fastbreak layup, before Charles Hankerson made a 40-foot, 3-pointer at the horn for the Cowboys (8-2).

Martin knew this would be a tough, low-scoring game. Wyoming held Colorado to 33 points in a victory earlier this season.

“There”ll be nights when the shots don”t fall because the other team is real good defensively,” he said. “You have to find different ways to win the game.

“You have to defend and rebound. I thought we did that.”

Wallace, the two-time Pac-12 Player of the Week, finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. The junior point guard scored 12 of his points in the second half, and over the final 12:40 of the game either scored or assisted on 17 of the Bears” final 21 points.

Forward Christian Behrens added a career-high 12 points to go with eight rebounds. No other Cal player reached double figures. David Kravish had good shots, but was 2 for 11. Jordan Mathews was 3 for 9 from the field. The two starters, who average a combined 26 points, totaled just 11.

Wallace said the Bears won the game on defense, limiting Wyoming to 32.6-percent shooting, including 4 for 15 from beyond the 3-point arc, and forcing 12 turnovers.

“We”re happy with that,” he said of the defensive effort.

The offense, he said, will come.

“When there”s nothing in transition, we”ve got to be patient. We”ve just got to continue to work on some of the (offensive) breakdowns and we”ll get better.”

The Bears played their third straight game without sophomore guard Jabari Bird, still sidelined with a foot injury.

Martin conceded that team needs all its parts, but added, “We”ve also won three games. We”re still doing a great job defensively.”

Larry Nance Jr., the son of the former NBA star, had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Wyoming, whose only previous loss was a 66-53 setback at SMU.